Patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer treatment or some other procedure have to be transferred from a gurney on which they have been placed to transport them to the room in which a linear accelerator (LINAC) or other radiation therapy apparatus is located and then onto the treatment couch or table of that apparatus. One common practice to achieve that end is to roll the patient slightly on his/her side on the gurney to provide a space between the sheet on which the patient is disposed and the top pad of the gurney. An elongated patient transfer board formed of a strong low friction material, such as polyethylene, and which is at least as long and wide as the patient is then inserted between the gurney and the sheet on which the patient is disposed. The patient with his/her sheet is then rolled back down onto the board. The board with the patient and the underlying sheet on it is then lifted and/or slid to a position wherein the transfer board bridges the space between the gurney and the treatment couch. Once that has been accomplished the sheet with the patient on it is lifted up and slid from the board to a position fully on the treatment couch.
While the foregoing technique is generally suitable for its intended purpose, it involves “brute force” to overcome friction between the various sheets/coverings of the gurney and treatment couch/table. In particular, when the transfer board has been located in the position bridging the space between the gurney and the treatment couch it leaves a considerable portion of the sheet on the treatment couch exposed and a considerable portion of the sheet or covering of the gurney's pad exposed. Thus, there is considerable friction when sliding the patient and his/her sheet onto the bridging board and then off of the bridging board and fully onto the treatment couch. In a similar manner, there is considerable friction that has to be overcome when using the bridging board to transfer the patient back from the treatment couch to the gurney when the patient's treatment has been completed.
There are some roller systems which are designed to effect the transfer of the patient from the gurney to the treatment table and vice versa, but those systems are somewhat complex and still leave much to be desired.
With the forgoing in mind it should be clear to those skilled in the art that a system and technique for effectively and efficiently transferring the patient from a gurney or other movable table onto a stationary treatment couch or table and vice versa, with ease, with minimum personnel and with minimal disturbance of the patient is desirable. The subject invention addresses that need.
All references cited and/or identified herein are specifically incorporated by reference herein.